Advancing Drug Development by Reducing Reliance on Animal Testing

Advancing Drug Development by Reducing Reliance on Animal Testing
Case Example: Pre-Clinical Animal Models in Lung Toxicology

Hybrid Public Meeting
February 26, 2026 | 10am-4pm (eastern)

Reducing reliance on animal testing has become an important scientific and regulatory priority, reflecting growing recognition that traditional animal models may lack sufficient human relevance and slow the development of safe and effective therapies.

On February 26, 2026, the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA convened a hybrid public meeting on Advancing Drug Development by Reducing Reliance on Animal Testing. This meeting brought together voices from academia, the research community, regulators, and regulated industry to examine the challenges that reliance on animal-based safety assessments can present for medication innovation as well as patients. Using animal models in inhalation toxicology as a representative case study, speakers explored how practical, human-relevant alternatives to rat testing, including FDA-supported New Approach Methodologies, may establish human safety without imposing unnecessary constraints on the progression of development programs. In parallel, the meeting sought to explore opportunities to align global regulatory expectations for inhalation toxicology and translation to clinic.